St. Paul: Along light-rail tracks, all kinds of art springs up

As work on the light rail continues, art projects spring up along the route. (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)

It's no secret the Central Corridor light-rail construction is responsible for annoying traffic congestion and has taken its toll on some St. Paul businesses.

But what folks might not know is that it also has inspired a mini-explosion of art over the past year. Seventy artist-led projects -- everything from dance performances near the newly installed tracks to colorful murals on the sides of buildings -- have found their way into the St. Paul neighborhoods lining the six-mile transit route thanks to Irrigate, an initiative to promote the arts and artists.

"The biggest common thread I've seen in the Irrigate projects is that they are really about what's possible in the neighborhood," said Laura Zabel, executive director of Springboard for the Arts, which partnered with the city of St. Paul and the Twin Cities Local Initiatives Support Corporation to create Irrigate. "They're not big flashy art installations, but they're about building ties between the people who live in the neighborhood. They're about communicating to people that there are reasons to come to the Central Corridor even during construction."

Irrigate was formed to promote "creative placemaking" -- the act of people coming together to change overlooked or undervalued places -- along the transit route. Zabel says the program, which is funded privately by national and local grants and will continue until the light-rail line is up and running, exceeded her "wildest dreams" for what the group could accomplish in one year.

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The people behind Irrigate are celebrating those successes with "Art Happens Here" on Saturday, Oct. 27.

"It's designed to be a celebration of the neighborhood -- to reflect on what we've done and look ahead to what's next," Zabel said. "We'll have a big map of all the projects, many of the artists will perform, there'll be projects people can participate in and bring home. And a larger project that people can participate in that will be installed on University Avenue."

Kathryn Smith was one of the artists who received a $1,000 Irrigate grant, which she used to fund her idea of a historic bus tour of the Central Corridor highlighting businesses, projects and organizations. The tour, which took place in the spring, drew more than 100 people. Smith, who collaborated on the project with the Union Depot and the Minnesota Transportation Museum, called the event a "success."

"Lots of people signed up and they had a good time," said Smith, a photographer who lives in the Raymond-University neighborhood. "I'm new to the community, and it was a way to jump right in."

Along with information about placemaking and what's being done along the Central Corridor, Saturday's "Art Happens Here" event also includes a puppet show, live music and dance performances.

"For us it's about the people who live in the neighborhood and the people who care about the neighborhood coming together and making that neighborhood more a place where people want to live, hang out, thrive and stay," Zabel said.